Mississippi saw great change in the four decades after Reconstruction. Between 1877 and 1917 the state transformed. Its cities increased rapidly in size and saw the advent of electric lights, streetcars, and moving pictures. Farmers diversified their operations, sharply increasing their production of corn, sweet potatoes, and dairy products. Mississippians built large textile mills in a number of cities and increased the number of manufacturing workers tenfold.

But many things did not change. In 1917 as in 1877, Mississippi was a top cotton producer and relied more heavily on cotton...